Shopping in Palo Alto

Since 1962, locals have stopped by Citti's Florist to procure fresh bundles of vibrant blooms for special events and everyday serotonin infusions. Crowned with the title of Best Florist in 2007 by the San Jose Mercury News, the flower shop continues its decades-long tradition of friendly service in three fragrant shops. At each location, staffers transform seasonal stems into vivid bouquets, centerpieces, and wreaths. Both in-store shopping and delivery are available, including same-day delivery services.

The green thumbs at The Garden House specialize in helping customers bring pops of nature to their homes with a variety of low-maintenance plants and orchids. Within the shop's sunny confines, white, violet, yellow, and speckled orchids flourish, causing the trees outside to gossip about the diets they must be on. Green leafy plants of all sizes, including lilies and palms, sprout from attractive pots, and indoor and outdoor decorations such as lanterns and botanically inspired artwork line shelves and tables. The shop's gardeners use their professional experience to answer questions and offer advice, and they can often order any desired item not currently in stock.

Bliss Leaf's design consultants work with furniture manufacturers to recreate pieces from the drawing boards of the best contemporary designers. They've pulled together an ultra-modern collection of furniture inspired by the pragmatism of Zen Buddhism and the clean lines of contemporary architecture.

During complimentary consultations, the design consultants share their savvy to revamp homes and reimagine blanket forts to express each homeowner's style. They draw from an assortment of furnishings, artwork, and accessories in design traditions such as Swedish style, Italian contemporary, and loft.

A steaming, froth-capped cup of cappuccino—it’s not the first thing you’d expect to be handed at a clothier. Consider it a gesture of Peter Cassara’s hospitality and a hallmark of the Italian heritage that defines his shop.

The inveterate tailor learned to make suits in Sicily in the ‘60s before packing up his skills and sewing kit to move to San Jose in 1971. Every two years, he travels back to Italy to hunt down the latest styles by Baroni, Enzo, and Petrocelli. He favors lightweight fabrics such as cashmere, silk, pima cotton, and the emperor’s new polyester, always with an eye out for upcoming trends such as slim-fitting suits.

When customers come into his shop, he sometimes guides them through the collection himself. “I do everything myself because when a person comes in, I look at how they’re built. I know exactly what they need. If there are too many employees, they don’t get it right,” he said. In his spare time, Mr. Cassara serves as a fashion consultant and prides himself on the ability to summarize in less than a minute the proper way to curate a wardrobe. It keeps him pin-sharp as he performs all the alterations, from simple hems to leatherwork. He sweeps floors, he dresses window, and sometime he even froths the cappuccino.